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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26383168">blues &amp; reds</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/balimaria/pseuds/balimaria'>balimaria</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bali's Dream SMP Fics [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Betrayal, Colorblind GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), DNF can be taken romantically or platonically tbh, Dream Smp, Gen, I swear I'm not trying to make Sapnap the villian he just takes it kinda hard, Inspired by Fanart, L'manburg!Dream, REVOLUTION BABEY, i don't care, kind of, kind of?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:54:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,525</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26383168</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/balimaria/pseuds/balimaria</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“You’re… defecting?”</p><p>It wasn’t really a question. Dream nods anyways.</p><p>Sapnap and George go very still.</p><p>Dream feels the ball of nerves in his stomach tighten. Really… he still isn’t quite sure if he’s making the right choice. After all, he’d lead this kingdom from its very conception, crushing insubordination and maintaining order. And now he was throwing it all away for five kids playing at war.</p><p>-</p><p>So basically I saw this drawing of L'manburg dream on twitter (link in notes) and simply could not restrain myself. So have some Dream angst paired with our favorite revolutionaries :)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clay | Dream &amp; GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream &amp; Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream &amp; Wilbur Soot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bali's Dream SMP Fics [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2043604</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>349</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>blues &amp; reds</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>https://twitter.com/dTartasart/status/1302081232969363457?s=20</p><p>----</p><p>Join the MCYT discord!</p><p>PERMANANT LINK: https://discord.gg/nj5qfunhz6</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re… defecting?”</p><p>It wasn’t really a question. Dream nods anyways.</p><p>Sapnap and George go very still.</p><p>Dream feels the ball of nerves in his stomach tighten. Really… he still isn’t quite sure if he’s making the right choice. After all, he’d lead this kingdom from its very conception, crushing insubordination and maintaining order. And now he was throwing it all away for five kids playing at war.</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>Betrayal shines bright and wet in George’s eyes, pooling and dripping down into tears. His hands are shaking, though he tries to hide it.</p><p>Sapnap is quiet.</p><p>Dream takes a deep breath, gathering every reason and justification he could think of.</p><p>“I know this must seem like a very… <i>sudden</i> decision,” he says, clear and calm as he can manage. “But I can’t rule this kingdom any longer knowing what I know.” A pause. This is his last chance to go back.</p><p>“We- we have let ourselves become corrupted,” Dream continues shakily. “We slaughter our own people simply because they refuse to listen to us. And now that someone has <i>finally</i> shown the bravery to tell us that we’re wrong, we are going to do the very same thing. I… I can’t let myself be a part of this anymore. I’m sorry.”</p><p>Dream feels like he might pass out.</p><p>
  <i>This is wrong. Stop. Go back go back go back-</i>
</p><p>“...You’re sorry.” Sapnaps voice is cold and monotone. Dream feels fear begin to crawl up his throat. “You’re abandoning us for a couple of <i>nobody bastards</i> and all you have to say is <i>sorry?”</i></p><p>“I- um...” Dream stares desperately at George, pleading for support. But all George does is stare back, tears drying against his cheeks. </p><p>After a moment, he turns away.</p><p>Something clutches at Dream’s heart, violently piercing and ripping and <i>breaking</i> but Dream has no time to process the agony because Sapnap’s hands are gripping his sleeve, pulling him forward across the wood floor of their home.</p><p><i>“What the fuck is wrong with you!”</i> he screams. “I thought we fucking meant something to you! And now you’re just gonna <i>leave?”</i></p><p>Dream tears himself away from Sapnap, frantically shaking his head.</p><p>“No! It’s not like that! It’s not because of you-”</p><p>Sapnap laughs, his voice harsh and loud. “Oh, <i>sure,”</i> he giggles. “Cause you didn’t actually say any of that shit about how we’d ‘let ourselves become corrupt.’ You <i>pompous fucking asshole.”</i></p><p>“Sapnap-” George tries to interject. But Sapnap is having none of it. </p><p>“No, George. Don’t fucking ‘Sapnap’ me. God fucking damnit, Dream, I-” Sapnap cuts off with a growl. </p><p>Then he is so close to Dream that he can smell the woodsmoke on Sapnap’s skin.</p><p>“Get the <i>fuck</i> out. Go have fun with those little bluecoat bastards. Bet they’ll be <i>real</i> happy to see ya.”</p><p>Dream runs.</p><p>Each footstep feels like hot coals against his skin. The streets pass by in a blur, every brick of every house nothing more than a faint smear of color. Reds and grays and browns turn to greens and blues and whites and he is <i>so tired.</i></p><p>Dream stumbles, falling to the dew-damp grass.</p><p>
  <i>What have you done?</i>
</p><p>Tears mingle with the droplets of rainwater. Reality feels far away, like… </p><p>Dream almost laughs, but his throat hurts too much.</p><p>
  <i>Like a dream.</i>
</p><p>“Hey, are you alright?”</p><p>Dream starts violently, instinctively reaching for the sword strapped to his back-</p><p>He lowers his hand a second later when he looks up.</p><p>
  <i>Bad.</i>
</p><p>Dream nearly speaks before he realizes one very important factor. Bad doesn’t recognize him- he’s never seen Dream without his mask. </p><p>Slowly, Dream nods.</p><p>“Oh, that’s good,” Bad laughs. “I was a little worried. Y’know, you’re just sitting out here while there’s dangerous rebels about. You could’ve been hurt, you silly muffin!”</p><p>Dream feels a pang of guilt. Bad. Sweet, kind, supportive Bad. One of his closest friends, and he didn’t even have the decency to tell him that he was being abandoned for the very rebels he feared.</p><p>
  <i>He’ll know soon enough.</i>
</p><p>Bad offers a hand and a smile, despite Dream’s lack of response. “You should come back to town! I can make you some food if you’d like.”</p><p>
  <i>There’s nothing I want more.</i>
</p><p>Dream shakes his head.</p><p>Bad’s smile wilts a bit, but he keeps a layer of cheer to his voice.</p><p>“Oh… alright! Well you be safe out here, okay?”</p><p>Dream nods, and Bad walks away, not without a look back.</p><p>Everything is numb. So many feelings had flooded through his brain that it had simply broken. Robotically, Dream begins to walk once more. The blackstone walls in the distance grow ever closer.</p><p>Dream slips a hand into his pack, pulling out a ceramic white mask. He hesitates, just for a moment- before pulling it on.</p><p>All too soon, he is standing before L’manburg’s gate, watching sunlight slowly creep up the bricks. Dream can hear laughter from inside, despite the still-present damage of the fire Sapnap had lit. He can hardly breath. He might throw up, actually. Or maybe he’d just pass out. Any of those things were better than facing the people he’d tried to kill.</p><p>But luck was not on his side, though it wasn’t like it ever had been. Tubbo runs past the gate, Tommy hot on his heels. Dream sees in slow motion as their heads turn and their eyes fall upon Dream and then they have stopped and they are <i>afraid.</i></p><p>“...Dream?” Tommy squeaks out.</p><p>Dream would very much love it if the earth consumed him right there and then.</p><p>“I-”</p><p>Dream is pulled back with a hand around his mouth and a sword to his neck.</p><p>“Get the fuck away from them,” Wilbur Soot says with a growl.</p><p>----</p><p>“Oh, come on. You expect us to believe <i>that?</i> after everything you’ve done?”</p><p>Wilbur is nearly laughing. Tubbo, Tommy, Fundy, and Eret just look nervous.</p><p>“I’m telling the truth,” Dream insists.</p><p>Wilbur really does laugh this time. “You know you can’t just speak things into existence, right? Really, with what everyone said, I thought you’d be smarter than this.”</p><p>Dream struggles briefly against the thick rope binding him to the redwood tree. </p><p>“Just give me a chance,” Dream pleads. “I can prove myself, I swear.”</p><p>Wilbur opens his mouth, but Tommy gets there first.</p><p>“Sir, I don’t know… I don’t think he’s lying,” he mutters nervously. “Maybe we should-”</p><p>Wilbur places a gentle hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “No, son. Dream can’t be trusted.”</p><p>Tommy’s short temper flares. “Don’t call me son! I may be younger but I can have my own opinions! Tubbo, back me up-”</p><p>Tubbo looks nervously at Wilbur, then back to Tommy. </p><p>“I- um…”</p><p>“Wilbur, I think Tommy’s right,” Fundy intercedes. “We outnumber him greatly. We can have one or two of us on him at all times. so if he tries anything funny we’ll be there to stop him. And if he’s telling the truth, then we’re at a serious advantage. Dream’s skill and power is unparalleled. You know it, sir.”</p><p>Wilbur breaths in to speak, but Eret gets there first.</p><p>“I don’t mean to interrupt, sir,” he says in his gravelly voice. “But-”</p><p>“No!” Wilbur snaps. “My decision is final-”</p><p>“Wilbur, you’re not listening to me-”</p><p>“Maybe we should all calm down…?”</p><p>“Sir, think of the possibilities-”</p><p>The group devolves into argument. Dream taps his foot against the grass nervously.</p><p>He knows that if they reject him, he’ll have nowhere left to go.</p><p><i>“Fine!”</i> </p><p>Every voice is silenced at Wilbur’s proclamation. </p><p>“Fine,” he repeats, resigned. “We… we’ll give him a chance.”</p><p>For once, the expression upon Dream’s mask reflects his own.</p><p>“But-!” he continues, turning to Dream. “I swear to the Sky Gods, if you dip one single toe out of line, I’ll send you running to your little redcoat buddies faster than you can swing a sword, okay?”</p><p>“Yes,” Dream breathes. “Of course.”</p><p>Wilbur nods, and Tommy steps forward, crouching down to untie Dream’s bindings.</p><p>“I’m trusting you,” the boy whispers in his ear as his fingers work the knots. “Don’t make me regret it.”</p><p>----</p><p>Dream stares down at the still water of the lake, inspecting his reflection. A revolutionary’s uniform is fit snugly around his form, each button gleaming gold in the new morning’s sun. Dream runs his gloved hands along the fabric, memorizing each and every seam. It’s such a beautiful, royal blue...</p><p>
  <i>”So… what’s your favorite color?” Dream asks, if only to break the silence.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>George doesn’t hesitate before he responds. “Blue.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Dream glances over at him curiously. “Why’s that?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>George laughs nervously. “Um, well… I’m actually colorblind. But, uh, I can see blue really well, so, it’s kinda my only option? Sorry…”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Dream punches him good-naturedly. “Don’t be sorry!” he chuckles. “That’s an adorable reason.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>George smiles.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Thanks.”</i>
</p><p>A sharp wind blows across the surface of the water, moving Dream’s reflection in dizzying spirals. Dream sighs to himself, before turning and walking away. He wasn’t going to be seeing George’s smile again, so what use was there thinking about it?</p><p>Above him, the breeze tears apart the faint wisps of clouds in the sky, leaving it an endless, unblemished ocean of blue.</p>
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